Tag Archives: eternal perspective

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Mission Statement – Step 1 In A Strategic Ministry Plan

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In the last post, I described how our company just began our Strategic Ministry Planning process. Using the C12 Group material from their Strategic Plan for Ministry seminar, I will take you through the 5 Step process to make this happen in your company. We will begin with the mission statement in this post and cover the next steps in future posts.

Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The first step in this process is crafting the mission statement. While the vast majority of large companies and corporations today have mission statements, the number of those statements that effectively achieve the true purpose of a mission statement is likely small.

Does This Describe Your Company?

Too many companies hire a consultant, take a couple of hours batting ideas around in a conference room, and come up with a nicely word-smithed sentence or two, using the latest industry buzz-words. Then they proudly print this statement on a poster or plaque and hang it in the lobby to impress customers.

If this describes your company, I apologize if it sounds harsh. I do not mean it that way. However, do you really think this type of mission statement is effective at guiding the company? How many employees use this type of statement on a daily basis to make decisions? How many even know what the mission statement is or why it is important? Right now is the time to change it!

If your company is different and is effectively using the mission statement, then congratulations! Consider your company among the best! If your company does not even have a mission statement, then now is the time to create one!

Various Methods

Some experts will tell you that your entire team has to come up with the mission statement. Others will say the number of participants is not important. You really have to figure this out on your own.

As for our company, I enlisted our leadership team made up of four key managers plus myself for the project. I brought my vision for the company in a couple of rough drafts and we went from there. Our final product effectively captured my vision, but was an improvement over my drafts.

The C12 material says this about mission statements:

They capture the organization’s purpose or fundamental reason for existing, stated in a way that resonates with both employees and customers.

5 Characteristics of an Effective Mission Statement:

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Short and easy to memorize[/typography] – A mission statement needs to completely capture the essence of the company, but it cannot be so long that employees cannot remember it or explain it easily. This one is from POS Insurance Company…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Serving Him by serving you.[/typography]

If you expect it to be used as it should be, your company’s mission statement should be one carefully crafted sentence. The max should be two sentences. It should be easy to remember for every employee.

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Decision-making tool[/typography]– It should be able to be used effectively as a plumb line for making decisions on a day to day basis. Consider the mission statement of the Newport News Shipyard…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]We build good ships here, at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must,
but always good ships.[/typography]

Clearly, this one can be used by employees to make decisions in every area of the business.

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Inspirational[/typography] – The mission statement should capture the heart and soul of your company. It should excite employees toward action in the direction it describes. Here is the C12 mission statement…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]To change the world by bringing forth the Kingdom of God in the marketplace

through the companies and lives of those He calls to run businesses for Him.[/typography]

As this one does, it should reflect your company’s commitment and values. If it does not inspire you, who will it inspire?

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Sense of ministry[/typography] – This is obviously a characteristic that will not be true for all companies – only those committed to business as ministry. For these types of companies, the mission statement should reflect the call of the leader to Christ-centered ministry and inspire others to join in. Look at this one from the Martin Newby Management Corp….

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Sharing the love of Christ while providing unique management services for the manufactured housing industry.[/typography]

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Timeless[/typography] – Rather than changing with technology and markets, an effective mission statement should be timeless. It should endure the fads that come and go, providing guidance over the long term. I like this one from Pruett Builders…

[typography size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#222222″]Sharing the love of Christ while building homes and relationships with excellence.[/typography]

Combining your company’s core purpose and values into an integrated and memorable mission statement is as challenging as it is important! An effective and often-used mission statement can inspire and direct team members to a worthy goal, while its absence leads nowhere.

Do you have an effective mission statement?

If so, are you maximizing its impact in your company?

If the answer is no to either question, are you ready to start?

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Do You Have A Strategic Plan…for Ministry?

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When was the last time you worked on your strategic plan for any portion of your business?  How much time did you take to do that?  How many people were involved in the process?  What were the results?  Do you think it was time well spent?

Strategic Planning

Quarterly Planning Session

For our company, the last time was this past week (Tues-Thurs).  We spent several hours over several days leading up to Wednesday in drafting rough plans for our 4th Quarter Strategic Planning session.  We went off-site all day Wednesday for the actual session.  Then we spent Thursday compiling the notes and finalizing our plans.

I think we spent a total of 20 hours with various combinations of 15 people.  I figure it was a total of roughly 200 man-hours for our quarterly planning.  We came away with solid plans and forecasts for our focus areas over the next quarter.  I think it was time well spent.

Maybe your experience is similar.  Maybe you spent more time, maybe less.  Either way, strategic planning is a critical part of running a business.  It is necessary to keep a team focused on the right things so that maximum energy is applied where maximum results will be seen.

Strategic Plan for Ministry?

So, that begs the question, how much time have you spent in strategically planning the ministry aspect of your business?  Is this even something that is on your radar?  If not, should it be?  Shouldn’t we be spending more time determining how God would have us use our business as a vehicle for His ministry?

Strategic ministry planning is the same as strategic business planning, but it more specifically focuses on how we will allow God to use our businesses as vehicles for ministry.  It is a process in which you map out the following, as they relate to doing ministry through your business.

  • Purpose
  • Target Markets
  • Strategies & Tactics
  • Timetable
  • Reporting & Accountability

I can tell you that this is something that I have worked on in streaks for the past eight years, but I have never formalized the process.  Nor have I ever been intentional about involving others on our team.  It’s not that we have not done anything, but we certainly cannot point to a consistent planning process in the ministry area.

That is changing now.  Over the past several weeks, I have selected three key members of our company’s leadership team, described my vision for increased ministry through our business, and asked for their interest level and motivation for taking our ministry planning to another level.  All three are “all in” and committed to this process.  Now that the team is drafted, we have to determine our plan.  Since this is new territory, I went outside for help.

Seeking Outside Help

I have been a member of C12 for almost six years now.  You can read more about this organization and its tremendous benefits here (C12Group.com).  One of the many opportunities offered by C12 is something called a Strategic Plan for Ministry seminar.  The seminar is given by the founder of C12, Buck Jacobs.  If you ever want to meet someone who absolutely bleeds with passion for business as a vehicle for ministry, it is Buck Jacobs!

Anyway, my team and I went to this seminar this past week and came away with a clear path to creating a Strategic Ministry Plan for our business.  Over the next several posts, I will be outlining this path for you.  In addition to that, over the next several months I will be reporting on our team’s progress toward a more strategic integration of ministry into our business.  I hope this information is as helpful to you as it has been for us.

Have you considered intentional planning for ministry in your business?

If so, what steps have you taken in this direction?  

If not, what is stopping you from taking the first step right now?

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Do You Have Leaderboard Envy?

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Imagine you are a NASCAR driver and you are in the hunt for the Sprint Cup Championship. At second place in the chase for the cup, you know you are in contention for the season crown, but as things happen in this final race, you are pretty far behind in the pack while the points leader is out front with a comfortable lead.  All you have to do is beat him in this race and you have the crown.

The Challenge

You are slowly moving up through the pack, but things continue to happen that hinder your progress.  You see your hopes dwindling away.  What makes it worse is your knowledge of how your main competitor has made it this far.  His rule-breaking and illegal modifications to his car have given him an advantage all season.  You know this, but most others just think he is that good.  You don’t mind losing straight up, but it really bothers you that you have followed the rules to the letter and are coming up short as a result.  As you attempt move after move to catch up, your every effort is thwarted.  It is almost as if there is a conspiracy against you!

Your Feelings

How do you feel at this point?  What are your emotions?  Do you question your strict adherence to the rules?  Do you wonder, just for a moment, what difference it might have made if you had just bent one rule, maybe two?  Do you envy the points leader and his apparent success?  If none of these thoughts have entered your mind, then you are better than me.  I think it is just natural to think this way, no matter how hard we try to avoid it.

The News

Anyway, back to the race.  Your helmet speaker crackles with static and you hear your crew chief’s voice.  He tells you that he has heard from a very reliable source that the NASCAR officials have learned about the points leader’s practices and they have proof.  It appears they are going to let him finish the race, but his title (and the rest of his trophies) will be stripped from him. Stunned by the news, you don’t exactly hear the rest of the consequences he will endure, but you get the sense that you no longer envy his position. The bottom line is that as long as you keep up your pace and finish the race, you will get the crown.

Still Feel the Same Way?

Now what are your thoughts?  How do you feel now?  Do you still question your blameless practices?  Do you still wonder what one or two bent rules would have meant to your season? Is there any envy of the other guy left in your system?

Go right now and read Psalm 37 – the whole chapter.

It is not long, but it is good.

The Verdict

Do not let the world’s scoreboard alter your path.  Do not let the apparent success of the wicked bring envy to your heart.  Trust God to do what He says He will do.  Follow His path, finish the race, and you will get the crown (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Do you get caught up in what the world says is most important?

Do you let the success of dishonest competitors eat at you?

Will you trust what God’s Word  says about the fate of those competitors?

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After the Exit Interview, Now What?

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In my last post, Ten Reasons for an Exit Interview (with Purpose), I described why you should always execute an exit interview with departing employees.  So, you did the exit interview and got some feedback.  What are you supposed to do now?

First of all, you may actually receive positive feedback from the departing employee!  Don’t be shocked!  If you are doing some things right, be excited and appreciative for the compliments.  However, for the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on the not-so-positive feedback.  What do you do with that?

  • Do nothing at all.

    I am just kidding!  (Just out of curiosity, did you find that to be ridiculous advice in this context?)  Unfortunately, that is exactly what most people do with this information.  If they even complete an exit interview at all, it is most likely done to complete a checklist of termination paperwork.  Then the potentially valuable information is discarded as unworthy of their time!  Or maybe the feedback was painful and difficult to face head-on.  Regardless of the reasons, this is NOT a recommended step to take!  Read on…

  • Validate the feedback.

    Sometimes you will simply get sour grapes from a disgruntled employee.  While this is sometimes true, it is a mistake to assume it will always be that way.  Take what you heard, sift through the emotions (yours and theirs!), and find the nuggets.  If you have not observed the issues yourself, consult other employees that you know to be objective.  Get their perspective.  Simply put, do your homework and find out if there is validity to what you heard.  Pray for wisdom and discernment as you do this!

  • Determine if there is a pattern.

    What if you find the issue(s) to be true?  Okay, so something went wrong or a part of your business did not meet your standards.  Maybe you received negative feedback about you or your style.  What next?  Find out if it was a one-time problem or, more likely, a pattern.  Is it the result of a broken process or an isolated personality conflict?  Don’t gloss this over.  Dig through the rubble or smoke and determine the root.  If it is an isolated situation, move on to the next issue.  If it is a pattern, read on…

  • Find the best solution(s) and correct the problem.

    While this sounds simple, it is too often left undone.  Even if you remained objective through this whole exit interview process, it is possible that remaining employees may not.  They may be holding the sour grapes!  Whatever the situation, if the issue you have uncovered is legitimate, you need to push through to correct it and make sure it does not reappear.

  • Follow up with the ex-employee – thank them!

    Why not?  Do not allow pride or busyness keep you from thanking them for their productive feedback.  Let them know of your appreciation as well as your efforts to take action.  You do not have to go into detail about what you found.  Just let them know that their words did not fall on deaf ears.  They will appreciate it and you will be blessed as a result.

  • Commit to 100% execution of exit interviews in the future!

    Assuming you followed the whole process from beginning to end, then you can see the benefits of completing exit interviews with every departing employee.  If your company is too big for you to do them personally, then assign the responsibility to someone else, but make sure they grasp the value of the process.  Communicate to them the importance you place on the feedback.  Set up the process to make sure there is accountability in its execution!

What is your experience?

Are there any steps you would add?

Have you committed to exit interviews?

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10 Pitfalls to Running a Christian Business

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Have you prayed about how you are to run your business?  Have you sought God with intensity on the question of running your business for Him?  If not, I would suggest you not read any further until you do.

I know I am probably breaking several “Rules for a Successful Blog” when I tell you not to read further, but I cannot help it.  If you think you can get enough information on which to make a solid decision in this area without first seeking God in prayer, then you are mistaken.  In fact, if you simply look at the facts through your own eyes, you will almost certainly decide against running your business this way.

Praying and Thinking

If you are still reading, then I assume you have prayed (and continue to do so) about this decision.  You may have read my posts on the 5 Reasons to Run Your Business According to Your Christian Faith (if not, click on the “Reasons” Category in the sidebar to the right).  It makes sense to you, but you are still not sure whether you should proceed or not.  Good.  I am glad you are thinking about it.  I want you to think about it.

As with any major decision, I believe we are to go to God’s Word.  What does the Bible have to say about making a major decision like this?

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.
– Luke 14:28-30

Count the Costs

I will tell you, from my personal experience, that this decision is bigger than it even looks.  There are pitfalls, and benefits, that you have not even thought of.  It is just not what it appears.  Therefore, as Jesus taught in this Scripture, we must count the costs.

I realize that your experience in making this decision, and then implementing it, will not necessarily mirror my own experience.  At the same time, because I have already been through this process, I can share about my journey.  My hope is that I can help you avoid, or at least be prepared for, the following pitfalls (as well as those not listed!).

I will give you the list of pitfalls like Solomon might have done it in Proverbs.  Here are ten pitfalls of running a Christian business, eleven hazards you will face when basing your business on your Christian faith…

The Pitfalls

1. People think a Christian business does not terminate people
2. People think a Christian business never says no…to anything!
3. Your old policies, processes, habits will have to change
4. Your comfort level will be shaken
5. The people you thought would congratulate and support you…won’t.
6. You will lose friends.
7. You will come under attack.
8. Your priorities will change.
9. People will take advantage of you.
10. You will lose battles.

11. You will give up profit.

First of all, this is not an exhaustive list.  Secondly, I believe the benefits outweigh these pitfalls!

Now, some of these are self explanatory and some require further clarification.  While I will not do a continuous series of eleven posts on these pitfalls, I will take each of these topics and expand on them in the coming weeks and months.  I hope you will follow along and participate in the discussion as we go.

What are your thoughts right now?

Are you truly praying for God’s will in your business?

Are you willing to give it to Him despite the apparent costs?

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Reason #5 (of 5) for Running Your Business According to Your Christian Faith

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This is the final post in a series of five posts on why we should run our businesses according to our Christian faith.  Like the others, this reason comes straight from the Bible.

King Solomon was an amazing man for many reasons.  He was able to achieve incredible wealth and success.  He built houses, vineyards, gardens, and parks.  He surpassed all who had come before him. From the outside, it looked like he had it all!  What did he have to say about it?

When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind.
– Ecclesiastes 2:11

Does this sound like someone who “had it all” like Solomon?  What do you think were his reasons for feeling this way?  Fortunately, he gives us more information a couple of verses later.

I hated all my work at which I labored under the sun because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
– Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

The Problem

Solomon realized that his work would not last beyond this life.  As soon as he was gone, someone else would get it and do whatever they wanted with it.  He saw extreme emptiness in his work after he had accomplished it.

I think a key thought to consider here is that these thoughts of Solomon’s came later in his life, AFTER he had accomplished so much.  You see, while the accomplishing is getting done, the emptiness is hidden.  Everything looks so important and so urgent that we most often fail to see that it is, in fact, futile.

The Solution

What if you could reverse this principle?  Consider the idea of completely turning your business over to God and allowing Him to direct how it is built.  What if you began approaching your business as a tool in God’s hand to be used to impact others (employees, customers, community) for eternity?

Forget, for a moment, trying to imagine exactly what the business would look like. Instead, imagine what your thoughts would be at the end.

The “Stats”

Rather than counting the number of business branches or locations, employees, or zero’s in your bank account balance, imagine you are able to count the number of people who chose to accept Jesus due, in part, to the influence of your business.  Imagine counting the number of children fed or clothed as a result of the efforts of your employees.  Imagine counting the number of people you influenced through the business that went on to teach others that did the same thing (and on and on…)!

Where is the futility or emptiness in this?  I cannot imagine either being present – and I cannot wait to get to this point!

What about you?  What are you building?

What will the “stats” feel like when the counting is being done?

Regardless of what you have built in the past, will you change the future?

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Reason #4 (of 5) to Run Your Business According to Your Christian Faith

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Christian faith and business

This is the fourth in a series of five posts on why we should run our businesses according to our Christian faith.  In each post, we have looked at what light Scripture may shed on this question.
One of my favorite verses, which also happens to be one of the core verses in the Impact Discipleship series, is the following:

Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.  –
1 John 2:6

Let’s consider what Jesus did while He was here on earth.  During his roughly three years of ministry leading up to the crucifixion, Jesus poured into a small group of twelve of His closest followers.  He taught them all they would need to know to be His witnesses after He had ascended.

Early Church Strategy

These disciples, in turn, did the same thing with their preaching and teaching in the early church.  In his letter to Timothy, one of his own students, Paul wrote the following:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  -2 Timothy 2:2

Paul urges Timothy to teach and disciple other men that would in turn be able to teach others.  In this way, Timothy would be leaving a legacy of disciples.  I, for one, am glad the early disciples did this!  If not for them and their commitment to spreading the Gospel, where would we be today?

We know this was Jesus’ strategy.  We also know Paul used the same strategy with Timothy. And we know Paul encouraged Timothy to use the same strategy with others…who would then do the same thing!

Our Strategy?

So what does that mean for us as Christians?  What does that mean for those of us leading businesses?  Are we exempt from this?

Some of you may be saying that you do some of this outside of work.  No problem!  Keep it up!  You should be doing that.

However, while we can certainly disciple others outside of our businesses, why would we ignore the 40-60+ hours per week we spend inside our business?  Why would we not find some way to make that time count as well?  Whether through a chaplain program, lunch-and-learn Bible studies, or just simple messages in a company newsletter, there are many ways to maximize our available disciple-making time.

Once we can get past the mental block that we have to keep faith and work separate, all sorts of opportunities to live out our faith in business can present themselves.  Our first step is simply to make the decision to give God our businesses and let Him direct our paths.  He is faithful to take care of the rest!

Do you agree or disagree with this logic?

What is your biggest obstacle to move in this direction?

How are you seeking God’s perspective on living out your Christian faith?

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Reason #3 (of 5) to Run Your Business According to Your Christian Faith

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This is the third post in a series of five that looks at reasons to run our business according to our Christian faith.  In the last post, we looked at the Greatest Commandment and how it applies to our business.  Let’s turn to one of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and see how it applies.


“If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.

If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.”

– 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

What Will Survive the Fire?

Here, Paul talks about our “work” in building our lives on the foundation of Christ. Whatever we build during our lives that survives the fire on the Day will bring us reward. Whatever is consumed by the fire is lost.  What would you say will survive the fire?  Will our homes, regardless of size, survive the fire?  What about our cars?  Our stocks or other investments?  If you are like me, you see that none of this will survive the fire.

If that is true, then I am assuming our businesses will not survive either.  So what will survive the fire?  What about lives we have impacted for eternity?  What about our words, deeds, and relationships that have pointed others toward God?

Where Is Our Focus?

If this is the case, then what reasons could we have for dedicating so much of our time, treasure, and talents to the sole purpose of building our businesses?  Of course, we could say we do it to provide for our families and to enjoy the finer things of life.  Or we could say that we do it because we are wired to do it.  We may even feel we have no other choice but to do it.

Regardless of your reasons to this point, you need to ask yourself if your reason aligns with Scripture.  Are you running your business to produce results that will survive the fire or be consumed in the fire?  If it is the latter, then what are your choices?

What Are the Options?

You could sell the business and go into full-time ministry or even become a missionary. Certainly either of these choices could produce results that would survive the fire, right?  I see nothing at all wrong with these choices.  However, I see another choice you need to consider.

Turn your business over to God.  Let Him show you how He wants to use it. Turn your business into an eternity-impacting machine!  We will talk more later about what that looks like and how to do it.  For now, just consider it.

Let me know your thoughts.  

Do you agree with this perspective?

If not, on what are you basing your perspective?

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Reason #1 (of 5) to Run Your Business According to Your Christian Faith

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Have you ever tried to reconcile your Christian faith with the way you run your business? Have you always been taught to keep faith and business separate? Are you trying to determine God’s purpose for your life?

If you can say yes to any of these questions, then this series is for you!

This post is the first of five posts in a series that will show you why you should run your business according to your Christian faith.

Anytime we want to determine the heart of God, the first place to start is with His Word.  If He has already said it, then we are in no position to question it.

The Great Commission
After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, He appeared to the disciples.  Just before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave them their marching orders through what is called the Great Commission below.  I believe these are our marching orders as well.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.  And I will be with you always, even to the end of the earth. – Matthew 28:19-20

We are all, as Christians, commanded to go to the nations and make disciples.  This is not a suggestion or a request.  It is a command.  This does not mean that we are all to sell our possessions and move overseas to be missionaries.  There are plenty of opportunities to make disciples right here where we are.  We just have to look around.

Barna Research
According to a recent survey by George Barna and his research group, almost 40% of American adults are classified as “unchurched,” meaning they have not attended a conventional church more than once in the past year.  Even worse, only 15% of adults surveyed considered their faith in God as their top priority in life!  It appears the field is ripe for making disciples right where we are!

For typical business leaders, most of our time is allocated to our work.  We carve out some for family and leave a little left over for church on Sunday.  While some business leaders may buck this trend, they are in the minority.  That being the case, does it not make sense to fulfill the Great Commission exactly where we spend most of our time – in our business?

What better way for us as business leaders to reach those people (customers and employees) than through our business?  If we exercise and example our love for God through the way we run our business, maybe we can connect with them in a way (and in an environment) they have not found in a church.

Have you considered your responsibility to make disciples?

Do you see opportunity in your business to impact others in this way?

What are your obstacles to doing this?

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The Journey Begins…

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journey

This is the last in a series of 13 posts that describe, from the beginning, our ongoing journey to integrate our Christian faith into our family automobile business.  This series of posts lays the groundwork for the context of this blog.  This final post wraps it all up and gets it started at the same time!